For Once in My Life
by Little Lunar Wolf
Summary: She was his equal in everyway and succeeded where he didn't. In short she complemented him completely and fully. KIBBS


**Title:** For Once in My Life

**Author:** Little Lunar Wolf

**Rating:** T

**Pairing:** Gibbs/Kate, Established Relationship

**Summary: **She was his equal in everyway and succeeded where he didn't. In short she complemented him completely and fully.

**Spoilers:** A minuscule amount of Yankee White.

**Disclaimer:** Well I've never done this before but here goes. The wonderful characters of Kate, Gibbs and to an extremely small amount Tony don't belong to me but to Donald Bellisario, Belisarius Productions, CBS and Paramount. Oh and please don't sue; I don't even have a job yet.

**Authors Note: **Hi everyone and thanks for taking the time to read this. Firstly I would like to dedicate this story to a special someone. Enough said.

**AN2:** Well this is my first ever fic so please excuse the various mistakes that I'm sure this fic is littered with. I know that it may be a little weirdly written and the format may be a wrong, but I'm hoping that it'll be alright. Anyway enough chat, and on to the story.

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Gibbs turns the key in the lock and as he hears the familiar click of his door unlocking enters the dimly lit house. He shrugs out of his coat and drapes it on the back of the couch as he makes his way through the house. He walks the same path that he takes daily and stops in the doorway of his basement. 

Crossing his arms across his chest he merely observes. She's dressed in a pair of jeans and one of his shirts. The ones he wears when he's working on the boat.

To him she looks as beautiful as she would in an expensive gown.

He closes his eyes as he is lulled by the repetitive sound of sandpaper on wood. Familiarity bombards him.

He's proud. Proud of the way she's make his distraction their project. Ultimately he's proud of her. She's always wanted his approval, he's always known and she earned it while on 'Air Force One'.

Hell it's not everyday he would hire someone to immediately work on his team. Caitlin Todd was an exception. His Katie is special.

He reaches down and feels for his wallet. Finding it in his right back pocket, he takes it out and runs his thumb lightly over the leather. He keeps a picture of her, kept deep within, away from the casual onlooker or the inquisitive subordinate. He figures this way she remains as his secret. He hopes that by keeping her close, she'll always be with him, wherever he goes.

He remembers a time not too long ago when an empty house was the only thing that greeted him when he arrived home, and his boat was the only object keeping him from staying at the office.

He'd be damned if his life ever went back to that. It would be too painful to bear.

Thinking back now he realises that even before his head acknowledged its presence his heart was grasping for it. Clawing at the walls he'd subconsciously put up to protect himself. From what he would ask when he was feeling lonely and bitter. And every time he asked that of himself his heart would always answer.

From the one thing that Leroy Jethro Gibbs had yet to experience – true love.

He admitted that he had loved before, three times in fact. He acknowledged that at some point in his marriages he had loved his ex-wives. But it was never the kind of love that left you with a mushy feeling in the pit of your stomach from a simple touch. The kind when your heart races and you realise that life without that special someone isn't life at all. It was never the kind of feeling that only true unwavering love could deliver. It was a love that he craved but could never possibly have.

He'd always thought that he was past his prime, that a love like that was an unattainable dream. It was something he came to face after his third failed marriage; so he closed off his heart and accepted his fate. He was destined to be alone, so why torture himself.

As the years passed, life for him became constant. The only real reprieve from what life became was in the form of his boat. Gibbs always considered himself a do-it-yourself person with hand tools as his weapon of choice. He preferred to feel the affliction of his labour, to him the soreness gave him both a greater sense of accomplishment and a means to take his mind off his troubles.

There were times in his existence when he cursed life for giving up on him and he it. Those times came often, especially with the knowledge that Tony was out on a date, while he was alone, in his dark house, with only an unfinished boat to keep him company.

How he wished to be that young again. It had bothered him to have such thoughts, but he never showed it, he was Jethro Gibbs after all. Unfazable.

Then on one cold night aboard what technically became Alpha Foxtrot 29000 she entered his life and things have never been the same since.

From the very moment he laid eyes on her he knew she was special. He was impressed with her quick wit and feisty nature. The way she stood up to him and challenged his authority. She was his equal in everyway, and succeeded where he didn't. In short she complemented him completely and fully.

Their time in the lavatory, as innocent as it was, stayed with him for days; especially her opinion of him. He always considered himself a bastard, but to hear it from someone he was mildly attracted to cut him deep. Deeper then he ever imagined. It became the moment when his head took control and reminded him of his situation and his three divorces. His resolve was strengthened. He wasn't about to let Kate get involved with someone with so much extra baggage. She deserved better than that. So he had vowed to do what was best for the both of them and keep her at an arms length. And with that, silence the ever present voice in his heart from persuading him otherwise.

After a time he thought that he was over her and the only relationship he could see them in was a professional one. But what he didn't realise at that time was how strong a feeling temptation is for both Kate and himself.

It wasn't until Christmas two years later that the growing sexual tension between the two of them was released. Under mistletoe that he suspects till this day his team planted, they kissed for the first time. To hell with rules, vows and protocols he had thought as their lips connected. For once it had felt right.

Folding his arms across his chest he watches her movements. From afar he sees her bangs fall into her eyes and her pause to push them back with her hand, just to have them fall again.

He smiles fondly.

He notices a thin sheen of sweat forming on her skin from the exertion of working on their boat. He contemplates going down and joining her but decides against it. He enjoys watching her work.

Smiling at her determined expression as she sands their boat he leans back to rest on the doorframe, careful not to make a sound.

Without looking up she exclaims accusingly. "Are you going to come down or just watch me work on **our** boat?" She strongly empathises the our in her sentence.

Catching her playful undertone he relents and starts to descend the staircase to reach her.

She continues to work.

He comes to stand behind her, and lifts his hands to position them on her forearms, just above her wrists. He smells the sawdust on her and inhales deeply, bringing his chin to rest lightly on her shoulder. Silence envelopes them as they work on their boat together.

It's not long before he gives in. His hands drop from her forearms to her waist as he starts to place small kisses on her neck. She has a way of drawing him to her, like a moth to a flame. She decides to punish him and pulls away from his touch, scooting to the other side of the room.

Raising an eyebrow she meets his eyes, challenging him to come after her. With a playful growl he accepts and pursues. In a matter of seconds things escalate into a game of cat and mouse. He thinks he's fast, but little does he know she's faster.

She makes the mistake of trying to crawl through their boat and finds herself pinned to the ground by his body.

Keeping the smile from his lips he playfully shakes his head in disapproval before bringing his lips down to lightly touch hers. She emits a giggle as she reaches up and pulls his head down deepening the kiss.

He slowly pulls back and under their unfinished boat, gazing into the eyes of the woman that has captured his heart confesses, "For once in my life I'm whole."

THE END

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**AN3: **Howzat? Well I hope you enjoyed that. I found it really hard to write that, and it took way too long. I had to switch between tenses to tell both of the past and the present and it became really difficult as the story progressed. Even now I'm not too happy with the way it all fell together. O well. I was also unsure if _unfazable_ was a word because it wasn't in any dictionary I could find, but I've heard of it somewhere and it made sense to me. 

By the way the idea for this fic was partially formed as I was listening to Michael Bublé's rendition of "For Once in My Life". Any feedback on this story will be appreciated; it will really help me in any future fics I decide to write.

Thanks for reading.


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